US EditionDeath toll in Hong Kong fire rises to 44 with 279 still missing, authorities say
The fire spread rapidly due to bamboo scaffolding and strong winds, killing 36 and leaving 279 missing in Hong Kong's deadliest blaze since 1996, officials said.
- On Wednesday, a fast-moving fire tore through the Wang Fuk Court housing complex in Tai Po, killing at least 36 people and leaving 279 missing.
- Bamboo scaffolding and green protective construction mesh, widely used in Hong Kong, fueled the fire that started on external scaffolding, despite the Government of Hong Kong's plan to phase out bamboo scaffolding this year.
- Fire chiefs said crews deployed more than 140 fire trucks and over 60 ambulances as the blaze was upgraded to a level 5 alarm, with about 900 people evacuated to temporary shelters and at least six schools closed Thursday by the Education Bureau.
- Authorities have opened a dedicated probe as Police and the Fire Services Department investigate the fire cause and materials, while John Lee, Hong Kong Chief Executive, vowed a thorough probe and Xi Jinping, Chinese leader, called for all-out efforts amid at least 29 hospitalized residents.
- The housing complex, built in the 1980s and under renovation, could stoke public resentment ahead of a city-wide legislative election in early December, recalling the 1996 Kowloon fire and its public inquiry into 1996 fire.
255 Articles
255 Articles
Tai Po fire: 44 dead, 279 missing as blaze under control; 3 arrested on suspicion of manslaughter
Forty-four people are dead and 279 are missing after a fire engulfed seven residential towers in Tai Po on Wednesday. Of those hospitalised, 45 remain in a serious condition.
HORRIFIC: Fire In High Rise Buildings Kills 36 -- With 279 Still Missing -- Deadliest In 17 Years
A horrific fire has ripped through multiple high-rise in Hong Kong, killing at least 36 people but with 279 more still missing and many likely to be dead. It’s being labeled the deadliest fire in Hong Kong in over 17 years. See it here: More photos and video here: HONGKONG : Hong Kong’s deadliest fire in 17 years has killed at least 36 people, including a firefighter, with 279 others reported missing after a massive blaze swept through multiple…
The number of fatalities in a major fire in a high-rise complex in Hong Kong is now 36. Hong Kong's head of government Lee said there would be more than 270 people missing. In addition, several injured people were in danger of life. There are already arrests.
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